--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Once I'm given an idea for a story I have…" description: "\"Once I'm given an idea for a story I have a million ideas on how it should be illustrated, but I don't have a big shoebox full of unfinished ideas.\" — ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9aa/brian-selznick-9443_big_once-i-m-given-an-idea-for-a-story-i-hav_361458.jpg" --- # Once I'm given an idea for a story I have a million ideas… ![“Once I'm given an idea for a story I have a million ideas on how it should be illustrated, but I don't have a big shoebox full of unfinished ideas.” quote by Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9aa/brian-selznick-9443_big_once-i-m-given-an-idea-for-a-story-i-hav_361458.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9aa/brian-selznick-9443_big_once-i-m-given-an-idea-for-a-story-i-hav_361458.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9aa/brian-selznick-9443_big_once-i-m-given-an-idea-for-a-story-i-hav_361458.jpg) > “Once I'm given an idea for a story I have a million ideas on how it should be illustrated, but I don't have a big shoebox full of unfinished ideas.” [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author envisions many visual possibilities for a story but lacks a collection of unfinished concepts to draw from. **In simple terms:** Lots of visual ideas, but no stockpile of drafts. Key Takeaway Cultivate a habit of sketching early ideas. Themes creativity visualization discipline Mood inspired reflective Type advice creative When to use this quote - writing workshops - storyboarding - personal sketchbooks - creative brainstorming Key Concepts storytelling illustration idea generation Questions to Reflect On - How can you capture fleeting visual ideas quickly? - What routine helps you preserve unfinished concepts? A Different Perspective Without a repository of drafts, ideas may never materialize. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Big](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/big/) [Bigs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bigs/) [Full](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/full/) [Given](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given/) [Given Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/given-idea-1279934/) [How](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/how/) [Idea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea/) [Idea Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/idea-story-1353017/) [Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas/) [Ideas Illustrated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ideas-illustrated-3318746/) [Illustrated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/illustrated/) [Million](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/million/) [Million Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/million-ideas-1718758/) [Millions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/millions/) [Once](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/once/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) [Unfinished](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfinished/) [Unfinished Ideas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unfinished-ideas-3318745/) ## Related quotes > [Faithful to the word given and the idea had.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fernando-pessoa/faithful-to-the-word-given-and-the-idea-had/) [Fernando Pessoa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fernando-pessoa/) > [I have long given up the idea of a little house on the Ganges, as I have not the money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/i-have-long-given-up-the-idea-of-a-little-house-on-the-ganges-as-i/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > ['' I have given up the idea of giving up. ''](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-have-given-up-the-idea-of-giving-up/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [For most of my career I illustrated books for other people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/for-most-of-my-career-i-illustrated-books-for-other-people/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [I'm still hungry. I've still got a million ideas. I'm still strong and ready to create.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barry-manilow/i-m-still-hungry-i-ve-still-got-a-million-ideas-i-m-still-strong-and/) [Barry Manilow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barry-manilow/) > [I get a million ideas a day and I don't put too much weight on any one of them. The ones that really stick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-zackham/i-get-a-million-ideas-a-day-and-i-don-t-put-too-much-weight-on-any/) [Justin Zackham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-zackham/) > [Traveling did a great deal to me. I found that when I travel and just sit in the corner and watch, a million ideas…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lionel-richie/traveling-did-a-great-deal-to-me-i-found-that-when-i-travel-and-just/) [Lionel Richie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lionel-richie/) > [At times there seems to be a million ideas worth painting. However, there are days when it's a challenge to pull any idea together.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dean/at-times-there-seems-to-be-a-million-ideas-worth-painting-however/) [James Dean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dean/) > [“I hold in my hand a million ideas and more. But if I am puzzled as to why they have never leapt out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/i-hold-in-my-hand-a-million-ideas-and-more-but-if-i-am-puzzled-as-to/) [Craig D. 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The country can't afford them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-have-a-million-ideas-the-country-can-t-afford-them-all/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [Before I start writing, before I have an idea of where and when the story happens, I research it thoroughly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isabel-allende/before-i-start-writing-before-i-have-an-idea-of-where-and-when-the/) [Isabel Allende](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isabel-allende/) > [What I ended up doing was kind of crafting an idea for a story, presenting it to a writer - a dear friend of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiefer-sutherland/what-i-ended-up-doing-was-kind-of-crafting-an-idea-for-a-story/) [Kiefer Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiefer-sutherland/) > [When you have an idea for a story, you want those characters to reach as many people as you can. I think you normally…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-morgan/when-you-have-an-idea-for-a-story-you-want-those-characters-to-reach/) [Robert Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-morgan/) > [I love story-writing because I can (more or less, on occasion) actually DO it. That's really the truth. I like the idea that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-saunders/i-love-story-writing-because-i-can-more-or-less-on-occasion-actually/) [George Saunders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-saunders/) ## More by Brian Selznick > [It's fun to see how other artists adapt my work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/it-s-fun-to-see-how-other-artists-adapt-my-work/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [“Then you know Prometheus was rescued in the end. His chains were broken, and he was finally set free." The old man squinted one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/then-you-know-prometheus-was-rescued-in-the-end-his-chains-were/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [I've always loved children's books - it's not that I didn't like them, I just didn't think I wanted to do that. But then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/i-ve-always-loved-children-s-books-it-s-not-that-i-didn-t-like-them-i/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [A lot of people who don't write for kids think it's easy, because they think kids aren't as smart as they are, or that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/a-lot-of-people-who-don-t-write-for-kids-think-it-s-easy-because-they/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [“That night, cold and alone, Joseph had thought he'd found a portal into the past. But he'd been wrong. 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You are the true dreamers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/i-address-you-all-tonight-for-who-you-truly-are-wizards-mermaids/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [I've been taking art lessons since I was little, and I've always drawn. I think in pictures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/i-ve-been-taking-art-lessons-since-i-was-little-and-i-ve-always-drawn/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [What interests me about clocks is that everything is hand-made, and yet to the person looking at the clock, something magical is happening that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/what-interests-me-about-clocks-is-that-everything-is-hand-made-and/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [If you've ever wondered where your dreams come from when you go to sleep at night, just look around. This is where they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/if-you-ve-ever-wondered-where-your-dreams-come-from-when-you-go-to/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [“Yes, I've been trying to tell all night to tell you,' said the bat. 'But you wouldn't stop fighting me. It was very annoying.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/yes-i-ve-been-trying-to-tell-all-night-to-tell-you-said-the-bat-but/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [I think I always knew that I would do something with art because it was the one thing that I knew I was really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-selznick/i-think-i-always-knew-that-i-would-do-something-with-art-because-it/) [Brian Selznick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-selznick/) > [I think everything belongs in a certain place, for kids who feel they don't belong anywhere. 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I was a big problem at seventeen. If I had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/my-mom-had-very-low-expectations-for-me-and-she-really-had-a-point-i/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [I have always been a big meta guy because I think the way journalism is practiced in Washington, and the way everyone sort of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-leibovich/i-have-always-been-a-big-meta-guy-because-i-think-the-way-journalism/) [Mark Leibovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-leibovich/) > [It's going to be used in the last days to get people to come against Christ, and that's the issue: they come against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-lahaye/it-s-going-to-be-used-in-the-last-days-to-get-people-to-come-against/) [Tim LaHaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-lahaye/) > [My parents are divorced, and seeing that was really painful for me. Really painful for me. But that's also a big part of why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/banks/my-parents-are-divorced-and-seeing-that-was-really-painful-for-me/) [Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/banks/) > [I always want to do a big finale.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-yuh-nelson/i-always-want-to-do-a-big-finale/) [Jennifer Yuh Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-yuh-nelson/) > [I turn a lot of stuff down - big, big movies, the kind I wouldn't want to go to the cinema to see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-fox/i-turn-a-lot-of-stuff-down-big-big-movies-the-kind-i-wouldn-t-want-to/) [Matthew Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-fox/) > [So I concentrated on the rhythmic side of things, and therefore left a lot of holes. 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